First, the Duchess of Norberry, who had donated an enormous collection of historic ceramics to the British Museum ten years ago. Next came Lord Julius Montague, Marquess of Ashbourne, a trustee of the museum, and the man who most often met with, or even persuaded, prospective donors to part with their collections. Finally, Richard Wrothley, an American steel magnate who’d married an English duke’s daughter and built a vast estate for them in Surrey.
Tess gathered them into the Fenbridge dining room where she and Eve and Dominic greeted them personally and thanked them for coming. Then, to her utter delight, Fenbridge strode into the room soon after to mingle with the distinguished guests.
Half an hour later, a maid signaled to Tess, and she left Dominic and Eve to keep the guests in the drawing room occupied.
The Van Arsdales swept down the main staircase. Miss Van Arsdale wore an exquisite pale pink beaded gown that glittered as she moved.
“Miss Hawthorne,” she said, her gaze narrowing slightly. “What a surprise to find you here. Were you invited?”
“I was,” Tess told her with a smile. “Mr. Prince invited me.”
“Gads, girl,” Van Arsdale barked, “you two are determined on a proper scandal, aren’t you?”
Tess held her smile, refusing to be baited. “As he is my betrothed, I doubt there will be a scandal.”
Miss Van Arsdale blinked and then her lips curved. “My, you do work quickly, Miss Hawthorne. Perhaps I should ask you for some pointers when I go back to London to snap up a duke.”
Dominic strode out of the drawing room, baiting the Americans’ attention before Tess had the time to decide whether Miss Van Arsdale was being sincere or simply cutting.
“We’ve invited a few special guests tonight, Van Arsdale. I hope you won’t mind.”
Van Arsdale seemed utterly unfazed and even a bit intrigued by that news. “More’s the merrier I always say.” He waved an arm imperiously. “Introduce me.”
Dom led the two of them into the drawing room and did precisely that. Eve, who seemed to know the collectors as well as he did, acted as a sort of intermediary, jumping in to add little details to link each guest to British archaeology or the London museum.
Tess watched from a distance, seeing Van Arsdale’s eyes glitter when he was presented to the duchess and then the fellow American who’d secured a blue-blooded wife, much as he was hoping to find a noble-blooded Englishman to add to his family tree.
When Lord Ashbourne stepped forward for an introduction, Tess noted a flash of interest from Sofia Van Arsdale. Hewas a tall, lean, classically handsome young man with burnished blond hair, a winning smile, and striking blue eyes.
Van Arsdale seemed intrigued when he shook the young man’s hand. He wasn’t the duke the American titan was seeking for his daughter, but he would be one day.
“I hear you’ve made a marvelous find.” Lord Ashbourne leaned in as if they were speaking of state secrets. “An extraordinary gold buckle of Anglo-Saxon origin, is it?”
“It’s the prettiest thing you’ve ever seen, I assure you, Lord Ashbourne,” Miss Van Arsdale gushed.
He grinned at her. Tess almost expected him to disagree and claim she was the prettiest thing he’d ever seen, but the astute young man knew who he had to convince and focused all his attention on Gordon Van Arsdale.
“Have you considered donating any of the dig’s discoveries to the British Museum?” he asked Van Arsdale almost casually. “The duchess there recently bequeathed the most impressive collection.”
“We’re building our own museum,” Van Arsdale boomed. “You’re all invited to come and see it in New York.”
“Oh, but we’d hate to see British history leaving our little island, Mr. Van Arsdale,” Ashbourne said smoothly, his voice rich, his accent pure aristocratic haughtiness. “Tell me, Miss Van Arsdale, is there anything we could do to persuade him?”
Sofia Van Arsdale let out a throaty laugh and ran her fingers over the diamond choker at her throat. “Perhaps you should persuade me first, my lord.”
Tess felt Dominic come up beside her and turned to find him watching the unfolding flirtation with as much interest as she was.
“This wasn’t part of the plan,” he told her quietly.
“I didn’t realize how handsome Ashbourne was.”
Dominic slid an arm her waist and stepped a bit closer. “Find him handsome, do you, my bride-to-be?”
Tess grinned and nudged her hip surreptitiously against his. “I only meant objectively speaking. He’s handsome if you like that blond Greek god kind of beauty.”
“And do you?” he asked, his hold hot and firm against her waist.
“No,” Tess breathed, then looked up at Dominic. “I prefer the dark-haired, dark-eyed, devilishly handsome sort of beauty.”
